“It still comes up today—the question of whether baptism is a necessary part of being saved.” That is how a blog post, posted on crossexamined.org (click here) started that I read the other day. The author then goes on to list 8 reasons why baptism is not necessary for salvation. Therefore, I will attempt to answer all 8 of these points in my subsequent blog posts.

His first point, which is actually not part of the 8 bullet points, is to list the main verses used by those (people like me) who believe baptism is necessary for salvation. He lists Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; and John 3:5. I find it interesting that he doesn’t even mention Acts 2:38 which is probably the staple verse for people of my camp. I hate to speculate on his motives but if I were going to attack Calvinism I would at least be expected to deal with the main verses they really use.

Secondly I would point out that the author falsely equates baptism being necessary for salvation with baptismal regeneration. He quotes from Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences written by Norman Geisler and Ralph Mackenzie. But the two are completely different doctrines. I shall quote from the book Believer’s Baptism to prove my point. It was written by some of the greatest Southern Baptist Scholars living today. The Southern Baptist denomination is the one that crossexamined is associated with.

I believe baptism is necessary for salvation but I absolutely reject the concept that the act saves. The blood of Jesus saves us, it is reckoned to us based on our faith, but it is given to us at the time of baptism.

“Among Christian denominations, disagreements over baptism persist around four issues: to baptize or not to baptize, how to baptize (immersion, pouring, or sprinkling), whom to baptize (infants or confessors), and the effects of baptizing (ex opere operato [”by the work worked”; baptism actually confers grace], remission of sins, or mere symbolism).” (Loc 6694 Kindle)

Notice that the author distinguished between THREE different views on the effects of baptism. He said there is a difference between baptismal regeneration and baptism for remission of sins. So for the author of the blog I am contending with to equate the two shows a lack of scholarship.

“Peter makes no allowance for anyone to suppose that water when used for baptism has magical powers to effect salvation (ex opere operato). On the other hand, by mentioning the ordinary use of water for cleansing filth from one's flesh, he makes it clear that he conceives of baptism as a sacred cleansing ritual that is an integral aspect of the reception of salvation, namely Christian conversion.” (Loc 7104 Kindle)

I concur. The physical waters of baptism have no special powers. But notice how the author says that Peter ties baptism to reception of salvation.

“The issue of baptismal regeneration arose in later church history when baptism was separated from faith, though those who promoted baptismal regeneration rightly saw that baptism was irretrievably tied to initiation into the people of God in the NT.”

I am of the philosophy that we should structure the church organization and doctrine according to the apostolic pattern (Eph 2:20) and not Church tradition. The apostles were inspired; later church leaders were not (sorry Catholics). This Southern Baptist scholar teaches us that baptismal regeneration arose when the later church separated baptism from faith. Some understood how imperative baptism was to initial salvation but unfortunately reacted too strongly to the separation of baptism from faith and created the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Therefore, initially baptism was so closely connected to faith the two could not be separated. This is what we see in Colossian 2:11-15. Baptism is the location of salvation but only because of our faith in the working of God, as Paul puts it.

What have we learned today? We learned that equating baptismal regeneration with baptism for the remission of sins is wrong. It either comes from suspicious motives or ignorance (and I do not mean to be unkind when saying that). Scholars clearly point out the difference between the two:

Baptismal regeneration thinks that the actual physical act of baptism holds some sort of mystical power to produce a change just by the act itself.

Baptism for the remission of sins believes that baptism is the location when God reckons your faith as righteousness and the act holds no weight if a person does not have biblical faith.

Has anyone ever asked you, “Can you lead a good life without believing in God?”. Usually I get this question when I am speaking to someone about the Moral Argument for God’s existence. Essentially the argument says that if there are objective moral values then they have to be based in God. But without addressing the question we should address the motive behind it. The question seems to be asked by a person who doesn’t in fact care whether Christianity is true or not. He doesn’t seem to be interested in finding out whether our reality better matches the Christian faith or materialistic naturalism. Instead of choosing beliefs because they are true this person wants to pick what he finds helpful.

But have you ever noticed that one of the things that separates man from animal is his desire to know things. Sure animals are curious creatures who poke and prod at what they have never seen. But I’ve never seen my dog stay awake at night (or anytime for that matter) because the questions of ultimate reality are bothering him. Rather, he only seems to be worried about chasing squirrels and sleeping.

Unfortunately, even in the Christian Church we have fallen into this trap. That is, preachers have tried the bait of pragmatism to lure prospective members. We’ve tried to get people to come to church by telling them how Christianity will help their life to work better. Do you have bad kids? Then come to church where we have a youth group. Is your marriage on the rocks? Come to our couples small group. Now surely these programs are very helpful and needed. But let us never forget that the real need we are to meet for the lost sinner is to show him how to have his sins forgiven through Jesus. The Apostles didn’t go out preaching a doctrine of “come to Jesus and your life will smooth out”. To the contrary, they preached the FACT of the RESURRECTION of Jesus and then told people to count the cost because Christianity will require sacrifice.

The real crux of the matter whether Christianity is true. If it is not true, then no honest man will want to believe it no matter how helpful it might be. If it is true, then every honest man will want to believe it even if it gives him no help at all.

But in reality if Christianity is true then those who believe it and those who do not believe it are not equally equipped to live a good life. One day I was at an amusement park during the middle of summer and it was extremely hot and sunny outside. As I was walking along I watched a person literally fall over and pass out. As the park attendants rushed to the person’s aide, their first thought was to dump cold water on the person’s head to cool them down. But this would have been a serious mistake for if a person is overheating and they are hit with a bucket of ice water then their body will go into shock. Thankfully I was able to instruct them to give the person some cool water to drink, sit them in the shade, and continue to hydrate them while we waited on the medical staff. Both myself and the park attendants wished to do good but one was working in the dark and the other had factual knowledge.

We may intend to do good but if we are not following what is true then we may end up actually doing evil instead. Suppose that both the Christian and the Atheist support a proper education for our youth. That is all well and good. But eventually it will produce differences in what constitutes a good education. The atheists may ask whether a certain teaching is good for the majority to bring about the most happiness. But the Christians will say ‘even if it does bring happiness to the majority we cannot do it for it is unjust’. Therefore, what we believe about God will greatly dictate the actions we perform in this life.

In my last post we learned about Five Biblical Facts concerning the Nature of the Intermediate State of the Dead. Today we are going to discuss the question; Where Do We Go When We Die? This might seem pretty elementary. Any person who has even heard of Christianity could easily answer; heaven or hell. But the Bible gives a more nuanced answer than that and I think it is worth exploring.

1. There is an abode of the dead; in the Old Testament it is known as SHEOL and in the New Testament it is known as HADES.

Psa 18:5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

Rev 1:17b-18 "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Rev 20:13-14 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

2. Sheol/Hades is described to us through figures

Abyss or Pit

Ezek 28:8 They will bring you down to the pit, And you will die the death of those who are slain In the heart of the seas. Psa 30:3 O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.

Prison Fortress

Isa 38:10 I said, "In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years."Matt 16:18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

This language is used to designate the state of the dead not their location. That is, here we find descriptions of what death is like. These verses are not trying to tell us of an actual location. The Bible speaks of death like this as a principle not a place.

3. The term SHEOL is also used as a synonym for the grave, which the wicked and righteous alike seem to be overpowered by it.

Psa 89:48 What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?

Psa 141:7 As when one plows and breaks open the earth, Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

Psa 49:13-15 This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation. But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me.

4. Sheol/Hades are part of the temporary creation that will be ultimately destroyed by being thrown into the lake of fire

Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Rev 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Sheol/Hades might be invisible to our eyes but they are still part of the physical creation. It is part of the heavenly realms that we cannot see with our physical eyes but is very much real. It is simply made up of a different metaphysical substance.

5. The righteous dead are in a temporary place of bliss where the Lord is present

Lk 16:23 In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. (Lazarus is in a place known as Abraham’s Bosom)

Lk 23:43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (The thief on the cross was promised that he would be physically present with Jesus in a place known as Paradise after he died)

2 Cor 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Rev 6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained (Christians are by the altar of God where the Lord manifest himself to the entire spiritual realm; see Rev 4:1-11)

The current abode of the dead is only a temporary holding place. Yes, we will already know whether we are saved or lost but we have not traversed the final judgement yet. Rev 20:11-15 & Matt 25:31-46 clearly depict a final Judgment Day. Therefore, nobody has entered into the Final Heaven or Final Hell yet. While this is important the most imperative thing is to make sure that when you die you are going to be with the Lord. Have you obeyed the Gospel Plan of Salvation? If not, please click here for my resources tab and read my pamphlets for more information or contact me directly by clicking here.